ACT-Consistent B-L Higgs Inflation in Supergravity

We consider a renormalizable extension of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) endowed by an R and a gauged B - L symmetry. The model incorporates chaotic inflation driven by a quartic potential, associated with the Higgs superfields which lead to a spontaneous breaking of U(1)B-L. Consistency with the ACT data is achieved by considering a fractional shift-symmetric Kaehler potential which includes two free parameters (p,N) constrained in the ranges 1.355<p<6.7 and 6x10^-5<N<0.7. An explanation of the mu term of the MSSM is also provided, under the condition that a related parameter in the superpotential is somewhat small. Baryogenesis occurs via non-thermal leptogenesis which is also realized by the inflaton’s decay to the lightest and/or next-to-lightest right-handed neutrinos for normal ordered light neutrino masses.